Heading down the Laguna Seca Raceway’s famous corkscrew downhill section, the Latvian had all but won, and he had plenty of time to reward the crowd with his celebratory on-bike moves, while Bennett banged his handlebars in disgust at not being able to get back on terms.

Skujins had won stages of the Tour of California in both 2015 and 2016. The 2017 edition, however, is one that the 26-year-old would rather forget. His crash on stage 2 left him with a broken collarbone and concussion, and although Skujins first attempted to continue – dazed and with his jersey in shreds – his team eventually managed to convince him that his race was over, allowing him to get proper medical attention.